Umahi fulfills varsity scholarship promise to children of Ebonyi couple killed in Abia
By Our Reporter
Three years after promising university education at the expense of Ebonyi State Government to three orphans of Ebonyi couple Mr and Mrs Darlington Uzonwa brutally murdered in Umuahia, Abia State by robbers, Governor David Umahi, yesterday, made real him promise.
Wawa News Global had reported that the couple who were popular poultry farmers and major egg distributors in the Abia State capital, were shot dead in a broad-day- light on January 25, 2020, along BCA Road Umuahia but their children who were driving with them in their family car when they came under attack escaped by providence.
The mother of the children was said to have used her body to block bullets from hitting her children as the robbers calously fired at the family car.
The attention of Governor Umahi was later drawn to the dastardly incident through a letter by the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Abia State chapter for possible intervention to mitigate the plights of the traumatised victims’ children.
Gov. Umahi later invited the children and their family representatives over to his office for a meeting, and promptly gave some palliatives to assist their secondary education with a promise that Ebonyi State Government would bankroll their university education when ever they were due.
All three children of the couple were still then in the Secondary School but two have now graduated remaining the last born child who is currently in Senior Secondary one (SS1).
Meanwhile, the Correspondents Chapel in a follow-up letter dated May 11, 2023 informed the Governor that the first daughter of the couple had been offered admission to study Economics at the Federal University Ndufu Alike (FUNAI).
The family of the victims, had in a separate letter jointly signed by Mr Gregory Uzonwa, and Mrs Joy Ifeanyi-Sunday, also reminded the Governor of his earlier promise.
Few days later, he monitised the cost of university education for the orphaned children of the Uzonwas, and caused same to be transferred into a dedicated bank account as agreed by the family.
Meanwhile, the family has expressed their profound gratitude to Gov. Umahi for the gesture which according to them is a huge relief and succour.
Mrs Ifeanyi-Sunday who spoke with our Correspondent, said that Umahi had rekindled the hope of her brother’s children, and shown uncommon concern and faithfulness by keeping his promise despite the fact he would be leaving office in less than two weeks.
Pouring encomiums on the out-going Governor and Senator -elect, she said that the family would be eternally grateful to Umahi and Ebonyi State Government for the gesture.
She also thanked Mr Steve Oko of the Vanguard Newspapers, Abia State; and Augustine Anioke of the Nation Newspapers, Abakaliki for their roles in championing the cause of the victims’ children and facilitating the intervention.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Correspondents Chapel, Comrade Obinna Ibe, has commended Gov. Umahi for keeping his words, and for giving the family a sense of belonging.
He said that any investment in the education of the children whose hope had been shattered was a wise investment that posterity would always appreciate.
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